Game Thread 2023-24 Game #22 - BLAZERS @ CLIPPERS - DECEMBER 11, 2023 - MONDAY - 7:30 PM PST - ROOT

It actually isn't though. Yet. Four games is a ridiculous sample size. Something to keep an eye on, but four games hardly build a cohesive narrative, let alone something that is damning.

 

All good stuff and I agree.

Which goes to my original stance: Sharpe and Ant are both good. Sharpe and Ant provide different strengths/weaknesses. Sharpe is far more likely to defer. And as your assist per FGA metric points out, to call one a ball hog and the other unselfish, would be misleading at best.

Most importantly: We don't have to bash Ant to praise Sharpe.

 

For some, the narrative was established prior to the season starting.

 

I’m not aware of a 4th quarter narrative existing before I posted it.

 

I was referring to the icing out of Sharpe narrative and Ant is a ball-hog narrative. I replied to the incorrect post.

You might have been the first to say Ant has sucked in the 4th since returning.

 

Ah yes. Those have been around for a while. I actually don’t think Sharpe is being frozen out, but I do think Simons can be a ball hog.

 

The problem I see with it is, like I showed with Lillard, it's not something exclusive to Simons, as if it is like he's wilting under pressure of the 4th or something. But throwing it out there with no real context to it is another way to bag on him "going Me-J" for some.
Lebron James in his illustrious 20 year career has only twice improved his FG% in the 4th. 4 times has improved his 3pt% in the 4th. And only once increased his AST%.
I bet if you go through other tar players, you'll likely see that hold the same way.
Would we prefer he increases everything in the 4th? Of course! But this is generally the way the NBA goes, and especially with star players in tight games. Not calling Ant a star, but he was/is playing the role of one for us.
So there isn't really a relative narrative there. Unless it's just to say shots are harder to come by, and defenses tend to step up in the 4th quarter.

 

Sharpe needs to be a bigger part of the offense as the game comes to a close.

That didn't happen. I don't blame Simons for that. That's Billups' job.

Let's look at the last 4:30 of the game.

4:35. Sharpe brings ball up the court to 3-point line. Passes to Simons for made 3-point shot after 2 dribbles and screen by Reath on Kawhi.

4:09 Simons gets rebound and brings the ball up the court. Dribbles to the 3-point line and badly (hit side of rim) misses a 3-point shot.

3:51. Sharpe lets ball roll to half-court line, picks up the ball and passes to Simons. Simons drives toward hoop, throws a pass which was deflected (could have been a horrible live-ball turnover since it was being passed back out) but gets to Reath at 3-point line.
Reath passes to Sharpe on the right corner. Sharpe pump-fakes Zubac who goes flying past him, dribbles forwards and takes an uncontested 2-point shot. Blazers lead 121-120.

3:15 After a blocked shot, Sharpe takes the ball up the court, passes to Simons at 3-point line. Simons dribbles backward then forward past James Harden, and takes a floater which hits the back of the rim.

2:44. Simons takes ball from baseline, stops at the 3-point line, then dribbles at the hoop, where he is met by PG with good defensive position outside the restricted area.
PG goes up and contacts Simons, Simons throws up a "shot" which hits the backboard above the white square.
Sharpe was wide open in the left corner. Nobody near Sharpe.

2:07 Simons brings the ball up after an charge by Kawhi Leonard. Drives down the middle of the lane and hits a layup high off the glass. Blazers lead, 123-122.

1:30 Sharpe rebounds ball, brings it up to half court, passes it to Simons standing at half court. Simons dribbles the ball straight ahead down the left side of the lane.
Simons goes up in the air in the paint an attempts to throw a pass to Shaedon Sharpe in the right corner. Simons appears to be looking in Sharpe's direction before going up in the air
and the pass is deflected by Kawhi Leonard for a steal.
The turnover turns into a fast break for the Clippers, where Matisse Thybulle fouls Terrance Mann.
The Clippers were struggling to score, so Simons' turnover was a big gift for them, as Mann makes both free throws and the Clippers take the lead, 124-123.

1:13 Simons dribbles the ball up the court slowly, then throws a pass to Reath, who throws a pass to Camara running the left baseline.
Camara attempts a reverse layup on the right side, which is blocked by Zubac.
The problem here is Reath. He needed to stop at the free-throw line, but instead dribbled halfway into the paint before passing the ball to Camara.
All Zubac had to do was turn around to block Camara's shot.
Bad execution of a good idea.

0:29 (Blazers down by 3) Simons dribbles ball up court, goes down the right sideline, Harden pokes the ball which goes out of bounds off of Simons. Turnover.
(after a review called by the Clippers)

Game over, effectively.

In the last 4:30, Simons had 2 good possessions (3 pointer and layup) , and 5 bad possessions: 2 badly missed shots, 1 horribly missed shot, 1 bad turnover, and 1 horrible turnover.


Shaedon Sharpe attempted (and made) one shot during this time. What the hell.

This is exactly what I was hoping we would never or rarely see this season.

I didn't even expect to see it without Ayton, Brogdon, and Grant.

Sharpe can create his own shot and shoot from anywhere, and I believe is a better end-of-game option than Simons due to his length and calmness.

Thybulle is a legitimate 3-point shooter (shooting 3-5 against the Clippers).


Simons had the ball for the entirety of this possession, which ended in him crashing into a vertical Paul George (outside the restricted area) and Simons throwing the ball at the top white stripe on the backboard.

I think he should have had a clear view to Sharpe and Thybulle, though there is the "Claw" who was watching the passing lane.